A former adviser to Tony Blair who champions competition in the health service is to be the new head of the NHS in England.

Simon Stevens, who is an executive for a US healthcare company, will take over from Sir David Nicholson as chief executive of NHS England next April.

Ministers were impressed by Mr Stevens’ reforming instincts as an adviser to Mr Blair and the former Labour Health Secretary Alan Milburn. He drove the introduction of independent sector treatment centres whereby private companies are paid to operate on NHS patients. He is not a party member.